


too many sharks, not enough blood

by aNerdObsessed



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blood, Dark Rey (Star Wars), F/M, Irredeemable Kylo Ren, Irredeemable Rey, Massacre, Minor Character Death, The Dark Side of the Force (Star Wars), The Force Awakens AU, What Does Irredeemable Even Mean?, bounty hunter rey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-13
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:08:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27533539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aNerdObsessed/pseuds/aNerdObsessed
Summary: When Kylo Ren lands on Jakku in the middle of the night, nothing goes the way he planned. The man he sought, Lor San Tekka, is dead, and the map to Skywalker is missing. With Snoke and Hux waiting for him to fail, he latches on to the only lead that could redeem him:the girl. The Scavenger is an unknown bounty hunter, but she has the map. And so the hunt begins.
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 21
Kudos: 31





	1. just follow your scent

**Author's Note:**

  * For [imaburger](https://archiveofourown.org/users/imaburger/gifts).



> Happy birthday! I hope you enjoy this little story. All titles from "Irresistible" by Fall Out Boy.
> 
> Find me on [tumblr](https://a-nerd-obsessed.tumblr.com) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/nerd_obsessed)

A shard of night framed against the dim glow of the shuttle’s underbelly, Kylo Ren strode onto the sands of Tuanul. The village was silent except for the crackle of flames, the hiss of wind, and the whimpers of the huddled villagers. The hem of his robes trailed through the dust, wiping away his bootprints as though he were a specter, beheld but not present. 

The stormtroopers dragged forward an aged woman to meet him, face wrinkled and browned by years under Jakku’s sun. Hunched over, she squinted up at the Master of the Knights of Ren, trembling yet tenacious as she faced the emotionless mask. 

“Where is Lor San Tekka?” Kylo Ren asked, the words leeched of inflection and warmth by the vocoder of his helmet. 

Her response was measured with dignity. “Lor San Tekka is dead.” 

Kylo tilted his head and the troopers holding her elbows let go and stepped back. “Who has taken his place?” 

“None yet.” She sighed and peered from under sagging eyelids. “Perhaps you come to take up the guardianship of the Church of the Force?” 

A trickle of amusement at the woman’s audacity escaped the stormtroopers. Outwardly they remained still, but Kylo sensed it. His anger flared and his leather gauntlets creaked as fingers tightened to fists. The woman knew more than she was letting on. His voice lost the edge of cool indifference. “What happened to his possessions?” 

“Taken,” she answered. 

“By whom?” 

“By the one who came before you. By the one who killed him.” 

Why were they wasting their time here if the map to Skywalker was long gone? Kylo silently cursed Hux and lashed out, curling his hand into a claw. The Force rippled and the old woman began to strangle, held in an invisible hold. The villagers, compliant until now, cried out and pushed against the blaster rifles pointed at them, but the troopers shoved them back. 

“How did he die?” Kylo demanded. 

“The girl,” the woman croaked, clawing at the immaterial constriction around her throat. 

“What.  _ Girl? _ ” 

“ _ The Scavenger!” _

Kylo considered slicing into her memories, taking the details, but he didn’t want to shatter her mind. If anything, Hux should be able to track down this Scavenger. 

He released the woman to fall wheezing on her knees. Two of the more tenacious villagers shoved past the shouting guards and leaned over her, but Kylo was turning away. He had lost so much time already in his hunt for Skywalker. Each hour that passed, he felt Snoke’s displeasure with him grow. Granted, it was in large part due to Hux’s incompetence and enlarged ego, but Kylo’s master would not accept excuses. 

He needed to find the last Jedi, destroy him, and regain his master’s good graces. He strode towards the shuttle, which crouched in the night like a bird of prey. 

Captain Phasma marched up to him, chromium armor glowing with flame and shadow. “Sir. The villagers?” 

He didn’t pause his stride. “Kill them all.”

Her voice faded behind him as he boarded the shuttle. “On my command.” 

Screams and blasterfire echoed across the desert wastes as the door sealed shut and the engines picked up from their idling. Kylo didn’t hear any of it as he pondered what he’d learned. 

_ The Scavenger. _

Who was this girl? Kylo smirked. She had no idea what game she was playing. 

~---~ 

Elphrona was an isolated, uninhabited planet in the Outer Rim, unmarked on most navigation charts. The Scavenger’s maps were more comprehensive than usual, however, and indicated that this planet had a viable atmosphere. From high orbit, planetary scans revealed rocky, barren landscapes with only a few subterranean sources of water. As a bounty hunter, she always looked for new locations for stashes or hideouts off the radar. This had been one of them, and what waited was better than she could’ve hoped. 

Her ship rested on a ledge facing an even greater cliff, but before it lay two silent sentinels carved from the rock. Despite the wear of wind and time, they clearly resembled ancient Jedi with lightsabers raised in salute. Their looming figures likely once framed the doorway at the base of the cliff, but now they lay prone in a heap of rubble. Perhaps an earthquake had shattered the outpost and it was abandoned rather than rebuilt. That didn’t mean that other creatures didn’t take up residence behind the broken façade, so she stayed alert. 

She stretched out with her feelings, but the Force echoed empty of sentient life. She was alone. 

Relying on years of experience scrambling through downed Star Destroyers, the Scavenger deftly scaled the ravine between the ship and the ruined doorway. Each scrape of her boots on the cliff wall trickled down the canyon. The wind whistled erratically against the rock, a contrast to her measured breaths as she clung to the face. It would be difficult to take her captive this way, but there was no scenario where she would take them to negotiations. Kanjiklub would just take them without paying the bounty and shoot her in the back. No, without more assurances, they’d never see her prisoner. 

She scrambled over the edge and rose to her feet. Scanning the debris, she advanced with stealthy tread, each footstep tentative. The rubble had had time to settle, but there could still be hidden air pockets to fall into. 

The thick door trundled open and the Scavenger stepped inside. She unwound the scarf from her face and breathed in deeply. The air was stale, full of undisturbed dust and quiet. And for a scavenger, that meant undiscovered treasures. The dim light from cracks in the front wall revealed the High Republic architecture of the nave. Hand-carved columns ringed the high ceiling, though a few had broken off and fallen to the ground. She climbed over these, her staff extended before her. Just because she hadn’t sensed sentient life didn’t mean other lifeforms hadn’t made the ruin into a den. 

She switched on the lamp attached to her goggles, splashing the walls and floors with yellowed light. The beam puddled over a moldering skeleton, scraps of disintegrating cloth clinging to its ribs. She stepped closer for a better look. 

The skull identified it as a Quarren. It also clearly showed an unnatural death: the spine and shoulder bones sliced through in a clumsy beheading. Only one weapon could cause such an odd death blow. Eagerly, she searched the rubble and caught a glimmer under a heap of rock. Shoving it aside, the Scavenger picked up a lightsaber hilt. 

Elphrona was looking to be a better choice every minute. 

She continued deeper, through low corridors lined with inscriptions in the rock as well as boxes and objects she’d explore later, and followed the faintest trickle of water. The path opened up into a larger cave, untouched and natural compared to the fabricated entryway. Water burbled from a seam in the craggy wall to a shadowed pool. 

Thick metal rings hung from the wall, coated in rust. She tested one, and under the oxidized flakes, the metal held firm. She smirked. The old Jedi weren’t as angelic as they claimed to be. This isolated outpost was perfect for keeping prisoners off the grid, which suited her purposes just fine.

The trip back went much quicker now that she knew the way. At the lip of the ravine, she wrapped the scarf over her face once more before lowering the ramp to her freighter, the  _ Millennium Falcon _ , a parting gift from Unkar Plutt when she left Jakku for good. 

Maybe she had stolen it, but the Crolute owed her. Anyway, the dead couldn’t care less about material possessions.

D-0 greeted her as she boarded. “HELLO.” 

“This place will work, Deo. No one’s been here in years.” 

“VERY NICE.” The conical droid twirled on its single wheel and zipped towards the main hold. She’d picked D-0 up in a wrecked transport on Pasaana. The desert planet, not unsimilar to her childhood home, had been yet another dead end in her lifelong hunt to track down her parents. They’d never been to Pasaana and it was only the first of a series of disappointments. But after charging its battery and oiling its wheel, she’d gained a useful and loyal data droid, so the expedition to Pasaana wasn’t a total loss. 

After adding the lightsaber to the collection in the captain’s quarters, she gathered the rest of the equipment she’d need. Following D-0 to the main hold, she found the disgruntled, wary prisoner crammed behind the defunct holochess board, magcuffs on wrists and ankles. The knot on his head from a few days ago had started to drain into his eye socket, giving him a forlorn and exhausted air.

“Bring back any food?” Han Solo asked the little droid. His gray hair and weather-beaten skin made him look older than he was, but Han’s eyes glinted shrewdly when he managed to look her in the eyes. 

“N-N-NO,” D-0 stuttered and shot her a guilty look. The Scavenger glowered. Her droid was always too friendly with prisoners, but she didn’t want to mess with its personality matrix.

“Aw, too bad.” He shifted in the seat, manacles clanking against the table. He screwed up his courage and looked at her. “Too bad you found the compartment under this table. I was sure I had you with that one.” 

“I know this ship top to bottom,” she replied, arms crossed. “And it was empty. Whatever weapons you hid there were long gone.”

“Eh, it was worth a shot,” Solo said. “You know the  _ Falcon _ kind of works better with two pilots.” 

Her tone was thick with a threatening undercurrent. “What would it take for you to keep your mouth shut?”

“You could join our crew! We’ll fly back and find Chewie, he’s been saying we need an extra hand around.” He shrugged and winced, the stiffness in his spine and bruises on his arms protesting. “No hard feelings.” 

“I work alone.” She yanked open a compartment and fished in the contents for the muzzle. Hopefully it fit humans.

“Ach. You young people always think that, but –“ 

“You’re fortunate that Kanjiklub and the Guavians don’t want you dead.” 

“I’ve heard that before. Last time I was caught, they stuck me in carbonite, which is pretty close to dead.” 

“You’re too old to survive carbonite.” 

Han grimaced. “You don’t have to throw my senior status in my face like that.” 

“Alright, get up.” 

Despite his bravado, he flinched when she grasped his arm. The muzzle came next, a simple gag that buckled behind his head that the old smuggler clearly resented, but at least she didn’t have to hear about it. She detached the magcuffs and wrangled him off the ship.

Before scaling the cliffs again, the Scavenger secured D-0 in her pack and unpaired the cuffs . Solo was cooperative, maybe because he was afraid of her, or maybe the gag had subdued his impertinent streak. Still, the trek back to the cave would have been more troublesome if he didn't fear the blaster pistol she leveled in front of his nose.

It could be he didn’t struggle because he didn't take her threats seriously. Her slight stature, female figure, and young voice led many to underestimate her, and she’d used it to her advantage before. She shoved him. If it made the job easier, who was she to argue? He'd already gotten a taste of her abilities during his capture. If he hadn't learned the lesson then, that was his fault.

Inside the deep cave, she attached the magcuffs to the rings in the wall. It was just insurance; Solo had nowhere to go once she left. Once he was secured, she turned to her droid. “Stay with him, Deo. I trust you to keep him out of trouble.” 

“TH-TH-THANK YOU.” 

She unfastened the gag. If Solo died of dehydration, all this effort would be for nothing. He didn’t waste the opportunity to speak again.

“Hey, take care of my ship!” Solo called after her. 

“It’s not your ship,” she muttered. 

~---~

Hux’s face twisted into a grimace as though he’d tasted something sour. “The Scavenger, Ren? That’s all you learned? A name. That could refer to several billion beings.” 

Kylo leaned in, forcing Hux to resist the instinct to step back. “I thought your intelligence could find anyone, Hux, even with just a name. Or is that another unfounded claim?” he sneered. “Perhaps Snoke should consider using the Knights exclusively for the more sensitive operations.” 

“My men are exceptionally trained,” Hux huffed. “Far superior to any other force in the galaxy.” 

“Then they should have no trouble tracking down a single girl.” 

“Careful, Ren, that your personal interests not interfere with Leader Snoke’s.” 

Kylo straightened and rolled his shoulders back. “I want that map. And for your sake, I suggest you get it.” 

Hux’s nostrils flared but he clamped his mouth shut. Pivoting away, Kylo stormed from the  _ Finalizer’s _ bridge, ignoring the officers in the pits who ducked over their stations. He couldn’t have cared less for their fear. They were all cowards. They feared Hux, they feared him, they feared Snoke, they feared anyone who held the smallest threat to the positions they’d clawed themselves into. 

Oblivious to the troopers and aides that scurried out of his way, he tramped through the corridors of the  _ Finalizer _ . Despite Kylo’s show of dominance, Snoke’s faith in him hung by a thread. Never mind that Hux contributed in every failure to obtain the map to Skywalker, Snoke wanted the last Jedi dead. Every trail had withered away to nothing, but this girl, this  _ scavenger _ from Jakku could very well be the connection he needed to find Skywalker’s whereabouts. 

Or she could be yet another obstacle to overcome. 

In his private quarters, Kylo sat before the warped mask and let the Darkness dripping from its pores soak in. Letting go of his thoughts of the girl, he exhaled. “Show me again, the power of the darkness, and I will let nothing stand in our way.”The mask was cold and vacant, deaf to his pleas. A feeling of unworthiness threatened to drown him, but he soldiered on with his supplications. “Show me, Grandfather, and I will finish what you started.” 

No one answered. He stood in a flurry, the hollowness inside making him sick. He was missing something, grasping at smoke, the depths of the Darkness skirting away from that despicable shred of Light he couldn’t eradicate. 

He felt powerless. Incomplete. Lost. 

Wrenching off his mask, he flung it across the room to smash into a glowpanel. It shattered and the light flickered, twitching like a dying animal, webbed fractures spreading from the point of impact. 

He had to try harder. 

Kylo calmed himself, ragged gasps to measured breathing. His focus was off. He knew what he had to do, what Snoke had commanded him to do. 

And the girl. 

The girl was the next step on his journey. He would find her, and take what she had. 


	2. all of your flaws are aligned

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on [tumblr](https://a-nerd-obsessed.tumblr.com) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/nerd_obsessed)

The Scavenger gritted her teeth. The  _ Falcon _ was difficult to pilot alone, not that she’d admit that to Han Solo. She’d made many modifications, of course, and in hyperspace the autonav took care of everything. But every once in a while, she had to stretch across the cockpit to flip some switch or adjust a setting, and the lack of a copilot became irritatingly obvious. 

Kanjiklub had agreed to a deep space rendezvous. Was she foolish to accept? Maybe. They probably thought she was. It would be all too easy for them to ice her, take the  _ Falcon _ , and be done with it. 

Any other bounty hunter could do the job, given enough time. It had been easy enough to lure and capture Han Solo, despite his notoriety for getting out of scrapes. It would have been almost laughable if not for his Wookiee friend, Chewbacca, who would definitely tear her limb from limb next time they met. 

As the  _ Falcon _ dropped out of hyperspace, she calculated the risks once more. The scanners showed a single light cruiser but it could easily hold a dozen or so men. Her ship would have to dock with theirs, making a quick getaway difficult. Negotiating a fair price and ensuring the transaction without backstabbing would be delicate. They assumed her young, naïve, weak. Her name was known, but it didn’t carry the weight of many of her fiercer male counterparts. 

She hailed their ship, waiting for a response while she wrapped her face. If they truly wanted Solo, they needed her alive to know his location. Otherwise Solo would starve in the cave on Elphrona. And if they didn’t want him that badly, well, she’d just take the bounty price anyway. She had the Force, the ace up her sleeve when all else failed. 

The ship’s logs were cleared by the time the  _ Falcon _ bumped against the cruiser’s air lock. The hyperdrive was on standby as she waited for the lock to finish decompressing. The doors hissed open, revealing a phalanx of carmine- and emerald-armored men on the other side. A quick count reported twenty-five guards.

She frowned. This was unexpected. 

They escorted her to a receiving area and stood outside the door. 

“Bala-tik,” she greeted. “Tasu Leech. So nice to see  _ both _ of you here.” 

Bala-tik's expression could have been a pout if not for his dark, heavy eyebrows. “You have Han Solo?” 

“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” she chided. “I’ve been out of touch for a few days, but I assume the bounty’s increased if both Kanjiklub and the Guavian Death Gang are interested.” 

They were not amused. 

_ “Do you have Solo or not, Scavenger? _ ” Tasu Leech sneered. 

The Scavenger tipped her chin up. “How much?” 

“The bounty remains the same.” 

“Too bad.” 

She turned to leave, but the guards at the door closed ranks, stopping her with hands on her shoulders. Anger skittered under her skin as she fought the urge to jerk from their grasp. Instead, the Force bent towards them, latching onto bones and tendons and nerves. With just the slightest tug, they shivered and released her, the unnatural violation making them want to claw out of their armor. Smirking, she faced the bosses again. 

_ “You would do well to hand over the prisoner.” _

“You mean you searched my ship and you didn’t find him?” 

The tightening of Tasu Leech’s narrow lips told her as much. Bala-tik's eyes flared with annoyance. 

“It would be best if you understood that I hold the majority here,” the Scavenger said. 

_ “You have nothing,” _ Leech spat.  _ “Bring us Solo, and then we will consider compensation.” _

She rolled her eyes. She hadn’t expected them to pay her twice the original, but they hadn’t even tried to work with her, and two gangs were involved now, which meant more demand. A higher bounty could keep her supplied for months of searching for her parents. 

“My price has doubled,” she announced. The bosses spluttered. 

“You don’t even have Solo,” Bala-tik scoffed. 

“ _ Go back home, little girl _ ,” said Leech. 

_ This is what comes from trying to be nice, _ she thought and grinned. The cabin pressure dropped enough that the men winced as their ears popped. The floor panels rattled as the Scavenger took a menacing step forward, and Bala-tik and Tasu Leech found their toes scraping the floor and lungs struggling to draw in the thinned air. 

“You’ll pay half now,” she intoned, the Force undergirding her words. “And you’ll pay half on receipt of the prisoner.” 

Their minds were like putty under her influence. Their determination broke instantly, replaced by desperate confusion. They gasped their acquiescence, pleading apologies, but she let them hang for a moment longer, tightening her grasp, before several wet snaps punched through the room. 

One of the bosses screamed as their bodies crumpled onto the decking, sure he was dead. The Scavenger didn’t wait for them to stand, but turned and stepped over the corpses of the guards who’d dared to touch her. 

“Don’t miss the next rendezvous,” she called out, trailing blood and ozone. 

~---~

Despite his blathering, Hux had unearthed information on the Scavenger. 

She was a small time bounty hunter, first appeared in reports two years ago, likely human, but no one had seen her face. 

She was in possession of the  _ Millennium Falcon _ , of all ships. He never thought he’d see that name again. If Kylo wasn't intimately acquainted with the Cosmic Force, he’d be forced to believe in fate. 

Her behavior patterns were erratic, Hux’s data had months unaccounted for until she would reemerge into notice. She went for smaller game, ignoring the large bounties where the competition was the hottest. But she was expedient. The time between when a bounty was posted and when she claimed it was impressively short. 

But why had she taken the map to Skywalker? Why had she killed Lor San Tekka? 

Kylo could understand why she’d want to leave behind that dead end, junk heap of a planet. Perhaps she had a falling out with the old man. Kylo could understand that too. He remembered all too well Tekka’s infuriating calm conviction on just about everything, too self-assured and narrow minded to consider an alternative. Or it could have been impersonal, coincidental. 

Did she even know where the map led? He thought of it as the map to Skywalker, but truly, it was the map to the first Jedi temple where Skywalker had likely hidden. Perhaps she was an adherent to the Church of the Force under Tekka and decided to seek out the temple herself. But why was uncertain; Hux’s report didn’t mention any religious affiliation. Conclusions about the girl were impossible.

Whatever the causes leading to the present circumstances, Kylo Ren was confident that she’d part with the missing piece of the map for the appropriate price. It was just another form of bounty in a way, without the added inconvenience of retrieving the subject of his hunt. Kylo fully intended to take care of Luke Skywalker on his own. 

“Sir?” 

Kylo whirled from the view of the starscape and found a lieutenant shivering in the doorway. The man flinched, as though expecting to be struck for speaking, but Kylo waited for his trembling to cease. The man had clearly drawn the short straw. 

The lieutenant swallowed, hard. “We’ve located the girl.” 

There was only one girl he was interested in, but he couldn’t resist. “What girl?” 

“The - the Scavenger, sir.” 

“Ah.” Kylo took a deliberate step closer. The man was sweating, the whites of his eyes visible. “Where is she?” 

“Bespin, sir. She’s refueled there a few times before. She likely won’t be there long.” 

Kylo scowled behind the mask. Bespin was an independent territory, and not First Order-friendly in any degree. Hux had bitched about their lack of cooperation in business negotiations several times. If they were to intercept the Scavenger before she disappeared again, they’d have to go incognito. 

“Prepare my ship,” he ordered. 

“Your ship, sir?” the man stuttered. 

Kylo stared. The utter incompetence bewildered him. “Yes. I’ll be going to Bespin to retrieve the Scavenger.” 

“Oh, yes, of course, sir.” He faltered. “Which ship, sir?” 

The lieutenant’s scream was cut off as Kylo dragged him forward by the throat, the tip of his boots thudding against the polished floor. He hung limp, too frightened to thrash, eyes bulging as he strained to breathe. Kylo eyed him with disgust. 

If you wanted something done right, you simply had to do it yourself. 

~---~

The Scavenger sat at the bar in Bespin’s lower levels. A crowd of Ugnaughts argued in a corner; others surrounded the tables, glaring at the few humans that dropped in for a bite or a drink. 

Grease slicked her fingers and she wiped them on a smudged napkin. The food – fried tubers and a juicy nerfburger – wasn't spectacular by any stretch, but the heavy feeling in her stomach was an improvement over the dehydrated ration packs she lived on. It could be a while before she had another hot meal, so after refueling the  _ Falcon _ , she stopped by the pub for a quick bite. She had time anyway; trapped on Elphrona, Solo wasn’t going anywhere, and Kanjiklub and the Guavians were on her timetable now. 

The service droid asked if she needed a refill on her drink in Binary and she waved it off. With a full stomach, she was already contemplating a nap once she got to hyperspace, and she didn’t need the alcohol to add to her drowsiness. The droid trundled off, disappearing in the oily smoke from the fryers in the back. She downed the last dregs of the amber-hued beverage and slapped a few credits before turning towards the door. 

She tensed before she realized why. The other patrons took longer to notice the tall, broad specter standing in the entrance. He was dressed in dark, ragged robes, a deep cowl shading the helm he wore. While his appearance was more than enough to frighten the others to a paralyzed silence, it was the aura of him that made her hesitate. 

Power billowed out from him, almost visible, like a purer, potent version of the grease smoke in the air: thick, dizzying, burning her lungs with each inhale. The mask he wore, glinting with chrome highlights, scanned the room and fixed on her. She was  _ seen _ . 

He saw her face uncovered, a hazard of eating a meal in a public space. But the searing touch of his gaze was more than that, because of the way his power wrapped around hers, intertwining to test the other’s reach. Most sentients lacked the capacity to sense her Dark abilities, but not him. He knew what she was. 

She shouldn’t have lingered. 

The cerulean lightsaber, stolen from the catacombs on Takodana, ignited in her hand. His head tipped to the side and he engaged his own lightsaber, a crackling crimson beam that filled her with envy. The Ugnaughts began to shout and shove, trying to find a way out. 

“Scavenger.” His voice was a low rumble cutting through the chaos, a nearly intimate caress to her ear despite the space between them. 

She raised her chin and blade, feet shifting to a ready stance. 

“You have something of mine,” he growled, the sputtering lightsaber held low and lax, as though he didn’t see her implied threat. 

Baring her teeth in a grin, she said, “I have many things. You’ll have to be more specific.” 

His free hand closed to a fist. “The map.” 

_ The map? _ The Scavenger scowled. Despite her initial awe, this man was obtuse and overly dramatic. She had many maps _.  _ The navcomp on the  _ Falcon _ was arguably one giant map. If he was going to approach her and casually threaten her while demanding some random map, well, she could respond in kind. 

“Ah, yes,  _ the map _ .” Her grin widened. “I’m afraid it’s not for sale.” 

Fury spiked in the air between them and she shivered in delight. It was all too easy to bait him.

“I’m not here to bargain,” he said, then his tone shifted, somehow headier and more seductive. “ _ You’ll retrieve the map and give it to me _ .” 

His words were like the X’us’R’iia, a scouring sandstorm that battered her mind, but she hunkered down in her thoughts and let his influence pass over her. She shook her head once, then met his eyes. 

“You thought you could use a little mind trick on me?” 

He stiffened, collapsed into himself a little. 

“I don’t deal with cheats, traitors, or  _ creatures hiding behind a mask.” _

She didn’t infuse power into the phrase, although it would have been simple. Even so, he reacted as if she had, with the stiff, mechanical way he disengaged the saber, clipped it to his belt, moved his gloved hands to the helmet, and removed it in one smooth motion. 

She wasn’t ignorant, despite what so many assumed of her. She knew who this was, had heard of Kylo Ren, Jedi Killer, Master of the Knights of Ren, apprentice to the Supreme Leader - but never expected to encounter him. He was never seen without the mask. Yet here he was, somber eyes and sullen mouth, gazing at her across the smoky bar. The helmet dangled from his fingers, then hit the floor with a resounding clunk. 

She sighed. She’d just wanted to eat some real meat for once. 

“You have the map,” he repeated, softer without the helmet’s modulator. “And now you’ll give it to me.” 

The bar had cleared out through the service entrance in the back of the kitchen. Her aggressive stance didn’t waver as she kept her eyes fixed on him. “I’m not giving you anything.” 

“We’ll see.” 

She’d had enough of his dramatic airs. With a flick of her eyes, she sent a table crashing across the room. Kylo Ren shifted his stance and deflected the careening piece of furniture, which smashed against the wall. Splintered wood clattered to the floor. 

He seemed... taken aback. As though he hadn’t expected her to do anything but acquiesce to his demands. Internally, she scoffed. Sometimes the constant underestimation of her ability was infuriating. He  _ was _ Kylo Ren, but that didn’t mean he could walk over her like a doormat. 

She launched at him, sapphire lightsaber singing, and raised the blade to strike. He stepped forward from the doorway and ignited his weapon just as she brought down her first blow. Sparks exploded from their crossed blades, and she swiftly parried and drew back, baiting him further into the room. They demolished the furnishings, leaving smoking pieces and shattered bits scattered throughout as they prowled the space. He anticipated her attempts to feint with a grim set to his wide lips. She danced on a knife edge, each movement exciting a jolt of adrenaline, set on pulling him into her orbit.

Eventually, though, his wariness pushed them into a tired rhythm of give and take. He now seemed to test her, not committing fully to any of her attempts to draw him out, but taking her measure from her response and retaliation. And  _ that _ was no fun. 

She maneuvered closer to the door, then crouched and sliced at his feet. He leapt back, caught off guard by the sudden change in strategy, and she tipped him farewell before sprinting out of the bar. 

The corridor was empty, but the first juncture revealed a squad of stormtroopers. Facing them head on, she flung out a hand and sent them skidding across the polished floor. With another sharp tug on the Force, she pulled herself around the corner without losing momentum and dashed down the length of the corridor. Her thoughts fixed on her ship – if the First Order knew it was hers, they could have grounded it or blown it to smithereens, whichever suited their fancy. 

A prickle on the back of her neck made her slide to a halt. She panted quietly and reached out with her perception. Something, some _ one _ , no, more than one, was lurking ahead, between her and the  _ Falcon’s  _ landing pad. They made no effort to conceal themselves, sensing her presence, and she drew back. Evidently Kylo Ren hadn’t underestimated her as much as she thought. If her guess was correct, the Knights of Ren were waiting to intercept her. They were here for her. She’d become predictable and stopped on Bespin one too many times. 

“Fucking hell,” she muttered. She turned away and started towards Cloud City’s core. There was a shortcut through the ventilation surrounding the thousands of repulsorlift engines that kept the city afloat in Bespin’s Life Zone. It was tedious, but not worse than scaling wrecked Imperial Mega Star Destroyers on Jakku in the blazing heat. 

The Scavenger crept through the carbon freezing chamber, the dim yellowed lights and steaming pipes gave the room an eerie mien. Her steps quickened, unwilling to spend more time than necessary here, and she pulled the scarf up. The chamber door unsealed with a hiss and she glanced both ways down the long tunnel before slinking along the wall. Wind gusted past her, carrying the sharp clean scent of the Life Zone. She was nearing the vents, where the breeze screamed through metal ducts and snatched at anyone walking the gangways. The next door opened with a gasp, air whipping at her face and clawing her clothing. Bracing until the air pressure equalized, she almost missed the slight tremor of warning through the Force. 

Kylo Ren stood on a skywalk dangling across an abyss, the very abyss she intended to cross to reach the  _ Falcon _ . Of course. 

The air currents parted around him, teasing the ends of his robes and the shawl bundled around his neck. The mask wasn’t present, his dark eyes intent on hers. How he’d arrived here before her, she could only speculate, but he hadn’t gotten the hint that she wanted to let him off easy. 

His loss. 

Igniting her blade, the Scavenger walked to meet him in the middle. He was still as a lothwolf waiting to pounce, but his secret intentions were written in the currents of the Force. Leaning into her feelings, she charged and swung, sapphire blade humming. He deflected it, the sputtering beam of his weapon severing the guard rail. The only progress possible was forward and back on the skywalk, and they fought bitterly for every centimeter. 

His scowl tightened with every exchange of blows, his offensive moves easily anticipated and cast aside. Grinning at his rising frustration, she pushed him into defense as their blades shrieked and crackled together. Each shove and stomp reverberated in the metal supports suspending them over open air. Parrying another downward slash, she tried to attack low on his flank, but his deflection caused her to slice through part of the metal grate at their feet, leaving a glowing scar, and gave her an idea. 

The gusts had not abated, so she would have to rely heavily on the Force. Letting honed reflexes take over the duel, she steeled herself with the Dark, frustration and anger and indignation and, yes, even a little fear working their way from her heart, hardening in her arteries like forged steel. 

Twisting in the narrow confines of the skywalk, she deftly parried his next strike and yanked on a cord in the Force. Kylo Ren staggered off balance before wresting control back, lightsaber wavering and sparking. He was quick, but she was quicker and sliced through the skywalk between them. Confused, his lips parted as she gathered the Force and leapt over him, flipping through the air to land with a resounding clang behind him. 

He whirled just as she brought the sapphire blade upward in a vicious arc across his chest, neck, and cheek. He cried out and reeled away, caving in on himself. She swiftly repeated the severing of the skywalk on this side. It stayed in place for a brief hesitance before breaking free, the hot metal spraying sparks as it dropped from underneath his feet. 

Kylo Ren threw himself towards safety, landing with most of his torso on the intact skywalk as the severed portion tumbled into the abyss. The Scavenger staggered back from the edge, breathing hard. With a scream, he pulled himself onto the platform. Blood dripped from the jagged edge, and when he rolled over, the ruined front of his tunic was stained dark above heaving ribs. 

His eyes, wide and rimmed with white, fixed on her with something like awe. She stared back until the severed skywalk began to buckle, drooping towards the chasm. Kylo Ren was in the same predicament, the unsupported structure slanting under his weight. With one last look, she turned and sprinted towards her ship. 

~---~

Kylo barely waited until the medical droid had stitched his face and neck with synthskin, refusing all numbing agents and painkillers, before storming to the bridge and confronting Hux. 

_ “She escaped?” _

Hux turned, a blithe expression fixed on his face. “I could ask you the same, Ren.” 

“A single light freighter penetrated your blockade.” 

“That freighter had excellent cloaking devices. Something I’m sure you know very well having piloted that same ship –” 

Kylo seethed. Every movement tugged on the brutal scrape across his abdomen and fed into his fury. He shoved a finger in his face. “Don’t talk of things you don’t understand.” 

For once, Hux had his temper tightly heeled and his amusement at Kylo’s only grew. “I think it’s fairly easy to understand, Kylo Ren. Your  _ sentimental  _ side blinds you. If it didn’t you’d have taken care of Skywalker and the Resistance long ago.” 

Kylo spluttered. 

“Unless you’re just weak.” 

He stilled. Hux was only this direct with his insults when he knew something. “What did you find?” 

Hux sneered. “The Scavenger is more than we realized.” With a sharp gesture, he ordered the prisoners brought in. Two human men, one in carmine armor and one in jade, were dragged trembling before them. “Tell Ren what you told my officers,” Hux demanded. 

They were silent, cowering on their knees. 

“Now!” 

“The girl!” the man in red cried, speaking with a thick brogue. “She was – she was meeting us at a rendezvous, she wanted payment for the bounty, the bounty on Han Solo.” 

Kylo Ren stiffened. He wasn't surprised to learn about a bounty on the old smuggler, but to learn that the Scavenger had both the map to Skywalker and Han Solo was a strong coincidence. He bit his tongue, knowing Hux’s eyes were fixed on him, waiting for a response. 

“What else?” Hux snapped. The trooper holding him kicked him in the rump for good measure and almost sent him sprawling. 

He blubbered, “She demanded more, more than the original bounty. Then she got tired of negotiating and she,” he licked his lips, “she killed all our men. Without raising a weapon. She killed them all!” 

The general sneered at the groveling man before turning to Kylo. “Remind you of anyone?” 

It did. Such feats of strength and control were beyond the other Knights, and besides himself and Snoke, Kylo hadn’t known anyone else to be capable of wielding the Force so powerfully. 

The man in green took Hux’s comment the wrong way, thinking the Scavenger was with the First Order. He started babbling in his own language, “ _ It was a misunderstanding! We’ll pay the bounty, whatever the Scavenger wants. Double, triple, we’ll pay it! Our business is honorable and honest! Whatever reassurances  _ –” 

The trooper cuffed him in the side of the head and he clamped his jaw shut with an audible click. 

“The Scavenger must be our first priority,” Kylo said. 

“Ren –” 

Kylo cut him off with a glare. “She has what I need.” 

Hux pressed his lips together and raised an eyebrow, but he would not be drawn into a petty argument. He turned to the men. 

“Will she return to claim the bounty?” 

The first man spoke in a rasp. “She told us to be ready for a second rendezvous, where she’d bring Han Solo to collect. She said not to disappoint her.” 

“We’ll use them as a lure,” Kylo said to Hux. 

“We needn’t go through the trouble.” 

“What then?” 

“Let this be the last time you doubt my men’s competence,” Hux sighed. “We placed a tracker on her ship.” 

“And?” Kylo growled. 

“Once she drops out of hyperspace, we’ll have a location.” 

Kylo considered. “So these men are of no use to us?” 

“Not particularly.” 

The stormtroopers were experienced enough to back away when Kylo ignited his lightsaber. With aborted screams, the two prisoners collapsed. The acrid scent of burnt flesh and blood curled in the air. He turned away. 

“Notify me as soon as we have a location.” 

He started to leave, but Hux blocked him. 

“I’ve already warned you once, Ren, not to make this personal.” 

He held Hux’s imperious gaze until something in the other man seemed to give and he stood aside. Skirting the cooling corpses, he left the bridge and retreated to his personal quarters. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment and kudos to lmk what you think! Next chapter coming tomorrow 😊


	3. ought to keep me concealed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I know I said three chapters. I lied. There's gonna be one more.
> 
> Find me on [tumblr](https://a-nerd-obsessed.tumblr.com) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/nerd_obsessed)

As soon as the Falcon landed on Elphrona, the Scavenger ran out to inspect the exterior of the ship. She hadn’t had a chance earlier; if she stayed any longer in the Bespin system she would have been caught by the First Order Star Destroyer lurking about. The jump to hyperspace was her only shot at a clean escape, but – 

“Shit.” 

The tracker was cleverly disguised as a small asteroid lodged in the hull, as if it were just normal debris from space travel. But she knew her ship, its shields, and her piloting skills, and she hadn’t been struck by anything since she landed on Bespin. She pulled it free telekinetically and floated it down to her hand. Marveling a little at the camouflage, she found the near-invisible seam, pried it open, and deactivated the beacon. D-0 would be able to run a diagnostic and confirm that it had been transmitting to the First Order, but for now she had to retrieve both her droid and Han Solo and make a break for it before they caught up. 

She hurried to the deep cave within the Jedi outpost ruins. D-0 was eager to see her, though his flat intonation didn’t betray his excitement. 

“HELLO.” D-0 zipped over to her feet. 

“Ah, look who made it back.” Han Solo sat up with a groan, joints popping. “You look out of sorts, kid. Something happened?” 

“We’re leaving. Now.” She unlocked the bolt connected to the wall and grabbed his upper arm. He shuffled to his feet. 

“I didn’t think it was possible for you to be grumpier, but I shoulda known better,” he muttered, tripping over the shackles around his ankles. The chains jangled as they trotted through the tunnels towards the outside. Her impatience continued to ratchet higher as they scaled the ravine between the collapsed entrance and the shelf where the  _ Falcon  _ rested, and she couldn’t refrain from scanning the skies for the pale triangle of a Star Destroyer in orbit. Meanwhile, Solo chattered conversationally. 

“I see the  _ Falcon’s  _ still in one piece,” he huffed, dragging himself over the edge of the cliff. “You know this ship made the Kessel Run in twelve parsecs?” 

Ignoring him, she kept a firm hand on his neck as she propelled them forward. 

“You know, if you joined me and Chewie, I’d bet you could make more money than bounty hunting. I’ve heard the market’s not so good right now with the Resistance and the First Order going at it.” 

Poking out of her pack, D-0 peered over the Scavenger’s shoulder. “D-D-DOWN.” She reached behind and set the droid on the ground. “THANK YOU.” He sped towards the  _ Falcon _ , kicking up pebbles. 

“That little fellow is cute. Very polite and responsible. You can tell what kind of a person they are by how they care for their droids.” She shoved Solo up the ramp. “Do you have a name? Like, a person’s name, not a title or pseudo-somethin'.” 

“That’s not relevant,” she growled. 

“Maybe not.” He shrugged, turning automatically towards the cockpit and she redirected him. “But I’m asking anyway.” 

In the main hold, she silently attached his restraints to the bench and stood to return to the cockpit. 

“What’s got you running scared?” 

She paused, eyes glinting dangerously. 

“I’m not running.” 

“Sure, that’s why you’ve got one eye fixed on the sky, because you  _ don’t _ expect someone to crash in at any moment.” 

“They’re not your friends. You wouldn’t enjoy the outcome if they found us.” 

“So not a rescue then.” He frowned. “I get a feeling it’s a short list of people that can get under your skin.” 

She turned to go. 

A long sigh followed her to the door. “Is it... Kylo Ren?” 

The Scavenger whirled to face him, arms crossed. “Did you set him on my trail?” 

“Me?” The bug-eyed shock was genuine, but it quickly softened to sorrow. “I haven’t spoken to him in years.” 

“But you know him?” 

Solo hesitated. “He’s my son.” She snorted and he pressed his lips together. “Hey, it’s hard to see a resemblance when he wears that dang mask all the time.” 

Except Kylo Ren had taken the mask off when she challenged him. His response bewildered her, even now as she remembered. More than that, though, was the feel of him, unlike anyone she had known. He felt  _ safe _ , even when his lightsaber lashed out at her, like there was no way he would actually harm her. Like he couldn’t. Like he didn’t want to. 

“And I know I don’t have the Force thing like you both do,”Han continued. He waved a hand. “I might as well be a rock for all I can sense that stuff.” 

Trawling the Force, she couldn’t sense any dishonesty. The odds of Solo’s claim being true seemed impossibly small in the randomness of the galaxy, but -

“So it is a rescue.”

He huffed. “Hardly.”

“You just said he’s your son.”

“Doesn’t mean he likes me.” 

The Scavenger rolled her shoulders back. “Or you’re running away from him.”

“More like keeping my distance, I suppose.”

She was getting distracted. Kylo Ren was coming, whether or not he had issues with his alleged father. “Do you know about the map?” 

He wrinkled his brow at the abrupt change in subject. “What map?” 

“He’s convinced I have a map.” 

“Huh. He didn’t specify?” 

“No,” she bit out. “You get my frustration?” 

He chuckled. “He’s my kid. Trust me, I get it.” The manacles clinked against the dejarik table. “He’s got a one-track mind, so sometimes he forgets that not everybody is on the same wavelength.” 

“He did seem a bit dense.” 

He shrugged again. “Eh. That’s a word you could use, I guess.” He met her eyes. “How was he?” 

“Besides dense?” She turned, having enough of this conversation. 

“Hey, you need a copilot?” 

“I’m the pilot.” 

“I’m not trying to pull one over on you. Even if he’s my kid, I don’t think it’s in my best interest to see him right now,” he called after her. 

Her gut writhed with anxiety, seconds slipping through her fingers as the First Order closed in. She advanced him. 

“You avoiding him?” 

“Not exactly.” 

“He’s your son.” 

“Yup. What can I say?” He gave a lopsided grin that didn’t reach his eyes. 

“Why the hell are you running from him?” 

Hegroaned. “For someone who isn’t friendly, you pry into personal matters an awful lot.” 

“As someone who quite literally holds your life in her hands, I’m wondering why you’re more afraid of your son than me.” 

Solo clamped his jaw, nostrils flaring, and avoided her burning stare.  _ Fucking finally _ . She managed to shut him up. With a smirk, she left him slumped on the bench and stalked to the cockpit. 

D-0 had already started the sublight engines. She took the controls and engaged the thrusters. The  _ Falcon  _ leapt into the air, almost as eager to be away as its passengers. The Scavenger kept one eye on the scanners, anticipating the moment the First Order ships would register, but the skies stayed clear. 

“Here, check this out, Deo.” She tossed the deactivated tracker onto the deck. It landed with a thunk, the magnetic locking preventing a bounce. D-0 peered at it, then up at her. “N-N-NO THANK YOU.” 

“It’s not going to hurt you. Promise.” She began to warm up the hyperdrive, face grim. “I just need to know who’s trying to track us, so we know who to pay back when the time comes.” 

D-0 nudged it with its wheel. “OKAY.” 

The blue expanse faded into the black of space. She paused over the navcomp. She hadn’t planned on having to burn Elphrona so soon, not when it had been such a promising hideout. “Where should we go, Deo?” 

The droid tipped his head at her, but didn’t respond as he prodded at the tracker. Sighing, she turned on the comms, set it to the right channel, and waited for the ping to be returned. 

No one answered the signal. 

If Kanjiklub and the Death Gang hadn’t taken the hint when she demolished their crews, she would just have to hunt them down and take their credits by force. It was a lot more work than she was hoping for, but if they didn’t answer her ping... How long had it been since she dropped from hyperspace? An hour at least, maybe longer. 

Shaking his head, D-0 backed away from the tracker. “FIRST ORDER. B-B-BAD PEOPLE. COMING N-N-NOW.”

The Scavenger glanced at the chrono. It had been almost three hours since she’d arrived at Elphrona. The hyperspace trip would take a Star Destroyer at least five. Giving them an hour margin, she had a little longer to listen for a response from Kanjiklub or the Death Gang. Otherwise, she would have to wait until after the hyperspace jump to try again. 

Or, she could let the First Order come. 

Kylo Ren would come. He was coming already, she felt him nearer. Which should be impossible, but it was excitement, not fear, that filled her. 

~---~

The Scavenger was slipping through his fingers. He just knew it. 

Kylo Ren’s TIE Whisper tunneled through hyperspace at lightspeed, the slight tremors numbing his fingers as he gripped the yoke. The anxiety of losing her trail tormented him and he left the  _ Finalizer _ as soon as the tracker’s signal was received. He had no doubt she would disable it immediately – she was exceptionally clever and perceptive – and with the tracker disabled, she could vanish into the spaces between stars without a trace. 

Each minute in hyperspace was a minute spent with his mind whirling in circles, reviewing every moment since he’d first seen the Scavenger. 

She was less than ordinary, unremarkable, just another sentient eeking out a living as a bounty hunter.  _ Except –  _

Something was awakening, like a sixth sense, beyond the enrichment of his natural perception through the Force. Something in him came alive when she turned away from that sticky bar on Cloud City and stood to face him, her eyes wide with surprise but her stance unintimidated. That something in him strained towards her, a magnetic pull that bent his mind and will to her. 

He hadn’t blinked when Hux informed him she was on Elphrona, the place where he had begun his journey to Master of the Knights of Ren. It was just the latest in a series of signs pointing to the significance of this girl from the desert. The Force was mysterious and inexplicable, but a growing burden of fate weighed on his shoulders. He simply could not let her go. 

Did she feel the same? 

The navcomp chimed. The TIE was nearing the drop and every muscle tensed, anticipating her draw. As they prepared to exit hyperspace, the starfighter’s engines shuddered and shifted with a roar. The starlines settled into points, and though it was nearly impossible for the human eye to pick out a single ship in space, he scanned the black for any sign of the  _ Millennium Falcon _ . Elphrona was a beige smudge between stars. The TIE’s onboard scanners searched the area as he drifted closer and awaited their verdict with bated breath. 

The comms crackled, jolting him from his spiraling thoughts. 

“Identify yourself.” 

Even riddled with static, her voice was rich with intimidation. He jammed the switch to transmit back. 

“Scavenger.” 

A pause. 

“You’re early, Kylo Ren.” 

His heart stuttered at the unexpected bit of sarcasm. She’d been expecting him, but perhaps she was even waiting on him? He licked his lips. 

“You’re late in leaving. Or were you hoping I’d catch up?” 

His scanners flashed and he fixed his gaze on the distant ship, a fleck of gray against the darkness. Quietly, he adjusted the stabilizing thrust to bring him nearer. 

“You have something of mine. I’ve come to take it,” he said. 

“Are you referring to this map you keep raving about, or are you talking about your father?” 

Of course she knew that too, and she said it like an accusation. His frustration flared. Why did Han Solo never cease to meddle in his affairs? 

“You’ll give them both over to me.”

“I don’t work for free. If you want them so badly, you should’ve found them yourself.” 

“Why would I do that when you found both of them for me?” 

She scoffed. “So sure of yourself, Kylo Ren. I may have Han Solo, but I don’t have the map.” 

“The map to Luke Skywalker. You took it from old man Tekka, and now you’re going to give it to me.” 

“Ah.” A pause. “That map.” 

So, she didn’t know everything. He was relieved that she wasn’t his perfect nemesis, or the antithesis of his choices and actions as Kylo Ren. No, it was more like she was a parallel line, and just the faintest nudge of fate had sent them intersecting at long last. 

“I’m afraid the map is not for sale,” she said. “At least, not to you.” 

“It  _ belongs to me _ .” 

“You’re sounding a little desperate there, Kylo.” 

Hands clenching into fists, he growled. 

“Unfortunately for you, I already have a buyer. You’re too late.” 

She was the missing piece in his life; he had been incomplete, would be incomplete, unless he made her stay. Couldn’t she feel it? 

The  _ Finalizer _ would only be half an hour or so behind him. If he could keep her here long enough, they could pen her in, retrieve the  _ Falcon _ with a tractor beam, and then he could reason with her on stable ground.

He cleared his throat. “If you’re speaking of Kanjiklub and the Guavian Death Gang, I’m afraid they’re no longer able to go through with the deal.” 

“They fear me more than they fear you and your First Order.” 

He exhaled through his teeth. He had her now. “Fear is irrelevant. It was all too easy to wipe them out once you’d killed off most of their crews.” 

The line went dead for long seconds. Then with a sharp crackle, “Don’t come a centimeter closer. Keep your distance from my ship.” 

“What are you afraid of?” he taunted. If this turned into a chase – well, he’d discover if she was as good of a pilot as she was a dueler. 

“I’m afraid your over-sized confidence is compensating for something,” she drawled. “My hyperdrive is primed. I could jump before you even get a chance to blink.” 

Reluctantly, he engaged the stabilizers again to keep the TIE in a fixed position. “As you wish, Scavenger. Now, let us come to an agreement.” 

“I don’t deal with dishonest mercenaries.” 

“Because your last business partners were so honorable,” he scoffed. “No, you don’t deal with those you don’t hold power over. Nothing keeps a person honest like fear of punishment.” 

“Enough stalling,” she snapped. “I’ll be willing to bargain with you, but only if you come alone.” 

“I am alone.” 

“Not for long. I’m sure your friends are right behind you. No, we’re going to neutral territory.” 

“Where would you have us go?” 

“Takodana. Maz’s castle.” 

“The planet’s fine, but we’re not going to Kanata’s.” 

“Why not?” she demanded. 

He smiled thinly at the starscape between them. “It’s not neutral territory if you’re friends with the proprietor.” 

“Nymeve Lake, then?” 

“Agreed.” 

“Turn off your transponder, Kylo Ren, or I’ll blow you out of the sky.” 

The transmission cut off, and the distant silhouette of the  _ Millennium Falcon _ winked out of existence as the freighter made the jump. 

Quickly, he set the navcomp’s coordinates for Takodana and switched the TIE’s transponder off. This wasn’t Hux’s affair anyway. Once he was facing her eye to eye, Kylo was sure he’d have her. She had caught him off guard before, but now he knew what he was dealing with and wasn’t about to let her go. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next update Tuesday. That'll be the last one. Promise.


	4. i'm coming for you and i'm making war

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on [tumblr](https://a-nerd-obsessed.tumblr.com) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/nerd_obsessed)

“Hey, kid, you sure this is a good idea?” 

No. In fact, she was sure it wasn’t a good idea. Solo’s question dogged her as she’d piloted the  _ Falcon _ into Takodana’s atmosphere. She outfoxed Kylo Ren once, but he hadn’t expected her. She wasn’t afraid that her power was inferior to his, but they would be evenly matched this time. 

That wasn’t why she agreed to meet him rather than escape into the farthest reaches of the Outer Rim. He’d destroyed her source of income, of course, by wiping out Kanjiklub and the Death Gang, but she would survive, find another buyer. But Kylo Ren intrigued her in a way that she’d never experienced. Something within her whispered that she’d met her match, her equal - which was ridiculous, wasn’t it? She fought the man once and thoroughly wiped the floor with him. Logic scoffed at the idea of destiny, but she had survived this long by listening to her instincts. She needed answers. 

Finishing the post-flight checklist, the glint of sunlight off Nymeve Lake repeatedly distracted her. It was a mild day; the warmth seeped into the cockpit and she couldn’t finish her tasks soon enough. Kylo’s TIE had landed on the far side of the lake from Maz’s castle so not to be seen, which meant she had a bit of a hike ahead, but she didn’t mind. If anything, her anxiety would have a chance to calm before the upcoming confrontation with Kylo Ren. 

With one last glance at the control panel, she went to the main hold. Solo looked up. 

“Hey, kid.” 

She bristled at the familiarity. 

“It’s been hours. You think I could get a visit to the fresher, maybe a glass of water?” 

“I’m going to meet Kylo Ren to discuss the transfer of the map to Skywalker.” 

“Ah, so you figured out what map he wanted.” He sighed. “I wouldn’t give it to him if I were you.” 

“He wants you, too.” 

“Huh. Figures, I guess.” 

“Deo will let you use the fresher. But don’t leave the ship or try any stupid antics. Deo will let me know and I’ll kill your son.” 

He nodded, unsurprised by the threat, then, “Are you gonna do it?” 

She checked her weapons and said absently, “What?” 

“What’re you gonna do? Hand me over?” 

“I’m not sure yet.” 

He looked resigned, and a sigh escaped him. “Alright, then.” A pause. “He’s a good kid, you know.”

Rolling her eyes, she tightened her bootstraps. 

“You two are kind of similar in a lotta ways.”

“How would you know?” she muttered.

He shrugged. “You’ll see. He’s chased you this far. He wouldn’t do that unless he was interested.”

Solo didn’t mean Kylo was interested in the map, or in his father. Pausing preparations, she pondered the odd mix of dread and hope radiating off the old smuggler. He’d mentioned before that he didn’t want to see his son, but she assumed it was reluctance, not fear. Perhaps the desire to find her parents tainted her perception. She wasn’t foolish enough to believe everyone cared for their family, yet she couldn’t fathom it any other way. Finding her parents was her life’s purpose. Without that... 

Turning without another word, she left Solo and D-0 to guard the  _ Falcon _ . 

The tension in her shoulders softened at the first inhale of summer air. The Scavenger loved this planet. 

Takodana’s greenery wrapped around her senses like a soft, warm blanket after the void of space. And water – so much water, a whole lake-full, enough to drink and bathe and swim. This was the first place she’d gone after escaping Jakku, and the planet’s vibrancy took her by surprise, every time. Yet it felt safe, comforting. It empowered her. She couldn’t imagine a better place to face Kylo Ren. 

The walk stretched her legs, and the tension of space travel melted away. She scrambled over boulders and through gullies, enjoying the earthy scent carried on the breeze. Moss cushioned her footsteps and mottled sunlight fell on her face. She’d considered pulling the scarf up, but she wanted to take advantage of the temperate climate. Not many planets were so mild.

And maybe she wanted to be seen. Though she wasn’t vain about her appearance, sun-toughened skin and plain features, it seemed to distract him, and she’d take every advantage. 

Opening her senses, the forest felt rich with plant growth and resident fauna. She also felt him, a knot of Dark tangles in the Force, coming closer. His stray ends seemed drawn to her, latching on and weaving her in. She should have fought the possessiveness of it, but her aura was just as attracted to his.

Something was different about sensing his presence and seeing him appear in the forest. A silhouette coalescing from the shadows between trees, a dark blight against the leaves and bark. He'd left behind the mask again, and it comforted her to think they were beyond artifice. 

“Scavenger.” He stalked towards her, but she held up a hand. Halting, he took her in. His eyes were the same mossy green as the leaves. “You came.” 

“You offered to bargain.” Her gaze flicked to the fresh scar, a dark gray swipe across his face. “You’re looking much better,” she taunted. 

His frown deepened. “Where’s Han Solo?” 

“Your father is watching over the ship.”  _ In a way, _ she added to herself.

Kylo’s face twisted in a scowl. “You’re a fool to trust him. He’s likely vanished with the  _ Falcon  _ by now.” 

“Likely not,” she retorted. 

“Friends, now, are you?” 

“I don’t make friends,” she said. “I told him I’d kill you if he tried anything. The reverse is true, too.” 

His face contorted before he managed to smooth it in a semblance of nonchalance. The emotions wafting off of him were a confused mass. He shifted closer, she shifted away. 

He said, “You realize your best option is to hand both the map and Solo over to me.” 

“What about Skywalker? What does he matter? No one has seen or heard of him in years.” 

He seemed to weigh his options. When he spoke, it was like the words were dragged out of his throat by a hook. “He betrayed me. When I was young and foolish, I trusted him with my life and my training. Instead of returning that trust, Skywalker tried to murder me while I slept.” 

Reflexive rage poured through her. Revenge she understood; she’d been stabbed in the back enough times. Those who didn’t understand were made to in the end. Unkar Plutt had been the first, then those on Jakku who had hurt her, and everyone after, too. 

“The map is yours,” she said.

Kylo blinked, but quickly recovered. “And Han Solo,” he persisted. 

Her goodwill began to evaporate. “What do you need him for?” 

“It doesn’t matter,” he growled, anger running away from him. “Hand over my father, and I’ll see that you’re properly compensated.” 

“Would you kill him?” 

She was setting a trap, but he was too belligerent not to walk into it. “Yes, I would.” 

The disbelief washed over her, and he saw it on her face. “You would kill your own father?” she exclaimed

His expression could have been carved in stone. “Yes.” 

Outrage rolled up her spine. “You’re a monster.” 

He stepped closer, and this time she didn’t back away. “Yes, I am,” he murmured. 

With a snarl, she thrust her hand out. Kylo staggered back, unresisting, and collided with a tree trunk. She bent the Force to hold him there. The tree creaked and groaned as she advanced. 

“You’re weak,” she accused. 

“If I'm weak, then so are you.” 

She ignited her lightsaber and lifted it under his chin. “We’re not the same.” 

“But we are.” His eyes glowed with conviction. “Don’t be afraid, I feel it too.” 

Without warning, his blade came up and knocked hers aside. He stepped into her in the same movement and touched the side of her face, fingers curling around the base of her skull, the calluses on his fingertips brushing her skin. 

When had he removed his glove? 

It didn’t matter. They stilled, caught in the same electrical current, muscles locked as they stared at each other with wide eyes. Rather than being overwhelmed, her mind opened for him like a flower starved for the sunlight. It shouldn’t have been that easy, sinking into another’s mind, but his presence wasn’t foreign or harmful. If anything, it was like reaching out to a reflection in the mirror and, instead of cold smooth glass, finding heat and emotion. 

She was in his head, too. His thoughts, his fears, his memories, his wants, all laid bare. It was so much, and then - 

It was the future. Both of them, together, undefined yet tangible. Just the shape of it, solid and clear. A sense of completeness like she’d never known. 

She drew back, wrenching free of his hold. 

He recoiled, visibly shaking. “What -” 

She gathered enough presence to be offended. “How  _ dare _ you!” Again, she raised her weapon to him, but he was unaffected. 

“Rey. Your name is Rey.” He savored it, tasting the sound of her name in his mouth. 

She drew back as if burned. “You’re afraid,” she accused. 

His eyes flicked up to hers, awe and vulnerability mingling. “What did you see?” She was trying not to hyperventilate, but he was insistent. “Tell me!” 

“You’re afraid you’ll never be as strong as Darth Vader.” 

He reeled as if struck. Nostrils flaring, he clenched his jaw. “You. You’re alone. Dreaming of your parents. Parents who traded you away for  _ drinking money _ –” 

“You’re alone, too,” she spat. His presence in the Force grasped at her, pulling her into the vortex of his emotions. Or were they hers? It was difficult to tell.

Turning away, he braced a hand on the tree trunk. She waited, chest heaving. He was weak, she knew that personally,  _ intimately _ now, but together, together she’d seen what they could be, their goals and hopes and desires aligned, converging into an unstoppable power.

Reaching the same conclusion, he faced her to extend his hand, palm tilted upright. “Rey -” 

She hissed, not willing to cave so easily. 

“Rey, join me.” 

She stilled. 

“Join me, and together we can bring a new order to the galaxy.” 

“Stop.” 

“We can find your parents, destroy Skywalker and anyone else who stands in our way, and we’ll be free. Free of this pain,” his voice began to break, “and loneliness.” 

She wanted to believe him, and already she trusted him, if only because she had seen who and what he was in his own mind. 

“Please,” he begged. 

“Han Solo goes free.” She couldn’t search for her parents with someone who’d killed his own.

His mouth twitched. “Fine.” 

She hesitated. 

“Just, please, Rey?” Then, quieter. “I know I’m not alone in this.”

The Dark Side was pulling her nearer, and she’d learned long ago on Jakku to trust its guidance. She quieted her doubts and reached for his hand. 

“You’re not alone,” she said.

He grasped her hand. Relief swelled between them, lightning crackling over their joined hands. “Neither are you.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think? I had fun creating a little darker, more possessive Reylo with this story. Please leave a comment and kudos to let me know if I succeeded in what I think I was doing lol
> 
> And of course, happy birthday imaburger! I hope you enjoyed this piece.

**Author's Note:**

> Next chapter coming Nov 14! Meanwhile, leave a comment and kudos to share your thoughts on this story 😊


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